The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-22
Secret Council Meetings.

Are the Aldermen of this city afraid to let
their constituents watch them transact pub
lie business! It would seem so from the way
! they shut the public out from their meet
ings On Wednesday night their secret ses-
sion lasted until 10 O'clock in the evening,
but then the secret session at about every
meeting continues quite late.
1t would be interesting to know why they
deem it necessary to transact public bust
ness in secret. Do they have the same sort
of contempt for the people which the late
Mr. Vanderbilt had, who is reported to have
said on one occasion "the public be id, " or
are they too bashful to speak their minds in
the presence of those whose servants they
are?
We know of no wrong doing in these
secret sessions In fact, the public knows
nothing about what is done in them except
in so far as is indicated by votes taken in
open session. The public thinks it strange,
however, that all discussions of the city's
affairs should be conducted in secret, and
oil matters Of importance should be deter
mined with closed doors.
If the Aldermen are timid they should
selves of their infirmity by frequently
facing their constituents. They do not look
like timid men, however, and it is probable
that they could manage to express them
selves fairly we'll in an open meeting and
without visible signs of embarrassment.
Nobody knows now who proposes or op-
poses many measures. The men of character
ard brains are leveled to the plane of those
who play the part of ciphers, if there are
any Of that sort. A policy with respect to
important matters is adopted without any
body's being responsible for it. 1t is not
improbable that a very different course
would be pursued in some important cases
if the public had the privilege of being pres
emit at Council meetings. An official does
not always act and speak in the presence of
the people as he does behind locked door.
What are the questions which the Coun-
Gil consider which the public hasn't a
right to know about3 There may be now
and then a matter that it would be better
to act upon in secret, but there are not half
a dozen such matters in a year. It certainly
was never intended that about the entire
business of the city should be transacted
behind closed doors, and, as it were with
hat over the keyhole. Secrecy breeds sus-
picion whether there is any reason for it
or not.
The Aldermen do themselves injustice by
their policy of secrecy. They run the risk
of having impure motives attributed to
them when there is no ground for such i'm
putation, and the public is quick to accept
a suggestion of wrong doing when it does
not know the reasons which led to a course
of action which meets with opposition.
Secret legislation, either in national, State
or municipal affairs, is not popular with the
people of this country. They want their
public servants to legislate openly, and to
state frankly their reasons for doing this or
that thing. They know very well that Sc
crecy eventually leads to abuses and corrupt
practices, and they are opposed to it. Officials
who desire only to promote the public good
| may entertain the mistaken idea that they
can do their work better in secret, but a
| careful consideration of the question can
| hardly fail to convince them that their best
and wisest course is not to hide from the
| nuhlip